By Rob Allison
Prep Baseball Report Iowa

Prep Baseball Report's IA Top Prospect Games event took place on Sunday, August 6, 2017. The event was held at Duane Banks Field on the campus of the University of Iowa. The event featured prospects from the 2018 grad class. 

There were a number of great individual performances this year at the IA Top Prospect Games. 

As we drill down into the statistics:

+  17 players ran sub 4.6 H-1B.
+  28 players recorded 85+ mph exit velocities
+  16 players recorded 80+ mph infield throws
+  12 players recorded 80+ mph outfield throws
+  9 catchers recorded 70+ mph throws to second base
+  6 catchers recorded sub-2.1 pop times
+  33 pitchers were 80+ mph on the mound

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMPLETE STATISTICS IN PDF FORMAT.

Below we have listed the evaluations for the outfielders in attendance at the event. 2-way players, Jackson Bennett & Landon Vander Leest, took center stage at the event. Both are physical athlete's that showed well at the plate and possess the necessary skills to perform in the outfield at the next level. Multi-sport athlete Kendrick Harris from Solon, a riser through the 2017 summer, offers an intriguing package of speed and strength; and Burlington prospect Blaise Rosson has continued to make improvements in his game over the course of the year. Jack Boever from Sioux City Heelan continues to show why he is one of the better all-around athlete's in Western Iowa; and Wil Courtney and Payton Young, show projection, with solid tool sets and should garner attention as they clean up and round out their game. ADM's Dalton Hews also performed well with his usual solid/above avg. skill set across the board.

 

 

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OUTFIELD EVALUATIONS (ALPHABETICAL)

Tony Barreca, C/OF, North Scott, 2018
5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. #14 ranked player in Iowa 2018 class. 4.5 home-to-first time. Square stance, short to contact, compact swing, aggressive approach, flashed hard line drive contact, gap to gap approach, 90 mph exit velocity. Above avg. blocker and receiver, directs traffic well during game action, deads ball and keeps in front. Quick feet with clean exchange, flashes carry to bag, occasionally short to bag on throws, 76 mph arm strength with 1.95-2.01 pop times. Versatility in field with ability to play outfield as well with solid routes, tracks fly balls well, above avg. runner, and has accurate arm on throws with 84 mph arm from outfield.

Jackson Bennett, RHP/OF, Dyersville Beckman, 2018
6-foot-5, 195-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. #28 ranked player in IA 2018 class. Will make jump up ladder once updated. Tall athletic build. 4.9 home-to-first time. Narrow open stance, leg kick trigger, shows above avg. pop in bat, lift in swing plane, hard mid/pull contact, 98 mph exit velocity. Moves with fluidity in outfield and shows athleticism, arm plays well with accuracy and carry to bag, 85 mph arm from outfield.

Cooper Beving, LHP/OF, Norwalk, 2018
6-foot-1, 200-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. 4.5 home-to-first time. Pre-set load, moves hands straight back to load, simple swing, solid line drive contact, to both gaps, 89 mph exit velocity. Solid/avg. actions, fields on side of ball effecting balance and direction, throws have accuracy to target, cut action on throws, 81 mph arm from outfield.

Jack Boever, OF, Sioux City Heelan, 2018
6-foot, 185-pound right-handed hitting shortstop. #41 ranked player in IA 2018 class. Athletic build with solid present strength. 4.87 home-to-first time. Tall open stance, loose swing through zone, solid extension through contact, mid/pull approach, line drive and fly ball contact, 95 mph exit velocity. Above avg. athlete, easy actions, slightly raw in outfield, throws have carry and accuracy, 83 mph arm from outfield.

William Christophersen, RHP/OF, Pleasant Valley, 2018
6-foot-4, 190-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. #17 ranked player in IA 2018 class as primary pitcher. 5.06 home-to-first time. Square stance, rolling hand load, line drive swing with lift through contact, mid/pull approach, consistent solid contact, 85 mph exit velocity. Above avg. arm strength, throws are online with accuracy and above avg. carry to target, 89 mph arm from outfield.

Wil Courtney, OF/LHP, Dubuque Hempstead, 2018
6-foot-3, 185-pound switch-hitting 2-way player. 4.57 home-to-first time. LHH- tall stance, good balalnce, leg kick trigger, mid/pull approach consistent solid contact. RHH- similar mechanics, falls over plate, slight lift in swing plane, fly ball approach, 89 mph exit velocity. Solid actions, creates direction with feet, long levers and has some fluidity in field, short arm action, avg. accuracy and carry to target, 80 mph arm from outfield.

Kendrick Harris, OF, Solon, 2018
6-foot-1, 205-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. Strong athletic build. Currently unranked; will make jump into 2018 IA rankings once updated. 4.7 home-to-first time. Open stance, easy stride, body load, short hand load, short to contact, shows strength in swing, ability to drive ball to gaps, 88 mph exit velocity. Good athleticism in field, moves with fluidity, dumps front side early on throws, has accuracy with avg. carry to target, 83 mph arm from outfield. Interesting 2018 athlete, multi-sport player, that could see significant jumps in college with development and instruction.

Brady Held, OF/RHP, Indianola, 2018
6-foot-3, 150-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. 4.63 home-to-first time. Tall open stance, hitchy trigger, pushes barrel through zone, pull approach, line drive and fly ball contact, 86 mph exit velocity. Solid athlete, works through ball, average reads off bat, quick release, accurate to target, 84 mph arm from outfield.

Dalton Hews, RHP/OF, ADM, 2018
5-foot-10, 145-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. #47 ranked player in IA 2018 class. 4.38 home-to-first time. Tall stance, body load, clean path, uses hands to baseball, ground ball and line drive contact, 87 mph exit velocity. Easy actions, comfortable in field, throws shows carry and accuracy to target, 84 mph arm from outfield.

Zach Hollingsworth, OF, Des Moines Lincoln, 2018
6-foot, 155-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. #75 ranked player in IA 2018 class. 4.4 home-to-first time. Open stance, leg kick trigger, deep load, flat path through zone, some effort in swing, line drive contact, mid/pull approach, 83 mph exit velocity. One-piece pie arm action, solid actions, flashes fluid athleticism, solid accuracy to target, 82 mph arm from outfield.

Graysen Jennings, OF, Ankeny Centennial, 2018
5-foot-9, 170-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. 4.73 home-to-first time. Crouched stance, body load, limited use of lower half, slashy swing path, ground ball contact, works middle of field, 76 mph exit velocity. Solid reads off bat, long release on throws, avg. footwork, multi-piece arm action, 72 mph arm from outfield.

Brady Leonard, LHP/OF, Waverly-Shell Rock, 2018
5-foot-10, 155-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. 4.78 home-to-first time. Open stance, leg kick trigger, hitch in load and trigger, avg. contact, ground ball contact, pull approach, 83 mph exit velocity. Aggressive fielder, plays fast in outfield, quicker arm, average accuracy to target, 79 mph arm from outfield.

Quinten Mesick, OF, Tipton, 2018
5-foot-10, 160-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. 4.58 home-to-first time. Present strength in compact frame, closed stance, yanks bat through zone, solid bat speed, pull approach, raw spray contact, 84 mph exit velocity. Pie arm action, quick release, throws are online with accuracy, 82 mph arm from outfield.

Josh Nutt, OF, Sioux City East, 2018
6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. 4.63 home-to-first time. Square spread stance, lower hand slot, turns top hand over early, uphill plane through baseball, top spin line drive and ground ball contact, mid/pull approach, 84 mph exit velocity. Avg. reads off bat, short arm actions, quick release, tends to throw flat footed, elevated throws, accurate to target, 76 mph arm from outfield.

Blaise Rosson, OF, Burlington, 2018
6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. #49 ranked player in IA 2018 class. 4.77 home-to-first time. Present wiry strength, spread stance, body load, uses lower half in swing, has balance, flashes pop in bat with gap to gap approach, line drive and fly ball contact, 86 mph exit velocity. Throwing has improved, solid/avg. actions, sits back occasionally, good physicality, profiles as corner outfielder at next level, 86 mph arm from outfield with accuracy to target.

Andrew Sear, RHP/OF, Dubuque Hempstead, 2018
5-foot-11, 190-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. 4.88 home-to-first time. Crouched stance, lift through swing plane, some extension through contact, top spin ground balls and line drives off bat, 80 mph exit velocity. Avg. reads off bat, works through ball occasionally, quicker release on throws, short arm action producing avg. carry and accuracy to target, 82 mph arm from outfield.

Landon Vander Leest, RHP/OF, Pella, 2018
6-foot-2, 196-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. #30 ranked player in IA 2018 class. Physical build with present strength and athleticism. 4.2 home-to-first time. Tall balanced stance, short to contact, solid extension through baseball, works middle of field, hard line drive contact, 91 mph exit velocity. Fields out front, solid reads off bat, avg. momentum after catch, cut action on throws, solid accuracy to target, 85 mph arm from outfield.

Payton Young, OF, Davenport North, 2018
6-foot-2, 185-pound right-handed hitting outfielder. Tall physical build. 4.82 home-to-first time. Balanced stance, knee to knee trigger, flashes pop in bat, limited extension through zone, 99 mph exit velocity. Solid fielding actions, avg. reads off bat, easy glove, throws have carry and accuracy to target, 85 mph arm strength from outfield. Some raw mechanics, has good ingredients, should have chance to continue to develop with instruction.

Zakary Zahner, OF/RHP, Cedar Rapids Prairie, 2018
6-foot-2, 160-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. 4.65 home-to-first time. Tall stance, body load, leg kick trigger, hitchy swing, flat line drive path, solid contact, spray across field, 81 mph exit velocity. Shows solid athleticism in outfield, works through ball, long wrap in arm action, throws have carry and accuracy to target, 83 mph arm from outfield.